Much Ado About Nothing is a classic Shakespearean comedy, and vast amount of puns, or play on words, can be found all throughout the play.

A pun can be found in the opening scene when Beatrice refers to Benedick as "Signior Mountanto" (Act 1, Scene 1). Mountanto refers to "montanto," which is a term associated in fencing to an upward thrust. Beatrice is implying, therefore, that Benedick has bad fencing skills.

Another pun is when Beatrice refers to Benedick as a "very valiant trencherman". The word "trencherman" can refer to a person with a big appetite, or a parasite or bug.